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Brighton Central School District honors volunteers, staff and students at May 28 board meeting
Summary
At its May 28 meeting the Brighton Central School District recognized volunteers and staff with Brighton Believer awards, spotlighted a high‑school–to‑elementary mentoring program and praised staff response after daytime power outages affecting multiple buildings.
The Brighton Central School District Board of Education opened its May 28 meeting by presenting Brighton Believer awards to community members, staff and students who district officials said model the district’s values of integrity, respect, responsibility and kindness.
The board recognized student volunteer Vivian Beidenkopf for work with the TIES inclusion program, the I Can Bike camp and peer‑tutoring initiatives; several crossing guards were honored for daily safety work and for stepping in when traffic signals were down; Sandy Hellman received recognition for 17 years coordinating the Jonathan B. Angelo scholarship awards; and longtime bus driver Jerry was praised by families for his care and presence on daily routes.
The board then heard a short presentation on a classroom mentoring partnership led by Brighton High School counselors and students. Counselor Holly Juliano introduced seniors and juniors who visited Council Rock Elementary weekly to assist with social‑emotional learning, art, music, recess and classroom instruction. Senior Rose Swatek described one moment that made the program meaningful: “She came up to me and she gave me a little card that said ‘I love you,’ ” and said the experience was a highlight of her senior year. Junior Maya Torres Panzer said the program helped her build connections across district grades.
Administrators and the board praised staff across buildings for their response earlier in the day to a power outage and intermittent fire‑alarm evacuations, singling out food‑service workers who improvised to ensure students were fed. Dr. McGowan thanked building and town staff for creating a "safe experience for our kids" during the disruption.
The board approved routine business later in the meeting, including the 2024–25 meeting calendar and several procurement and policy items. The meeting adjourned after brief closing remarks and a recognition of Dr. Lee for completing a level‑1 board achievement under the NISBA board excellence recognition program.
The district said graduation for the Class of 2024 is scheduled for June 20 at 7 p.m. on the turf, with a June 21 rain date at 5 p.m.
